Salt lick alternatives

[Savagevervet]

Good afternoon, everyone.

A few days ago someone posted a message about alternatives to commercially available salt licks. One of those suggestions (and it seems like a good one) was to fill a burlap bag with water softener salt and suspend it from a tree branch so that when it rains the salt will leach onto the ground.

I Googled water softener salts and turned up two alternatives: potassium-based and sodium-based. Now, I'm no expert on deer biology and I also know better than to blindly trust everything I read on the internet. However, a couple of things I have read suggest that the potassium-based salts can harm deer by causing chlorine deficiencies. For that reason the sodium-based salt should be used.

Does anyone on the forum have experience with this? Thanks.

TSV

[Rebel Hog]

Good afternoon, everyone.

A few days ago someone posted a message about alternatives to commercially available salt licks. One of those suggestions (and it seems like a good one) was to fill a burlap bag with water softener salt and suspend it from a tree branch so that when it rains the salt will leach onto the ground.

I Googled water softener salts and turned up two alternatives: potassium-based and sodium-based. Now, I'm no expert on deer biology and I also know better than to blindly trust everything I read on the internet. However, a couple of things I have read suggest that the potassium-based salts can harm deer by causing chlorine deficiencies. For that reason the sodium-based salt should be used.

Does anyone on the forum have experience with this? Thanks.

TSV

I only use potassium-base salt in my water softner to remove Iron from the water. I would Never feed it to Deer! I place Soy Bean Meal (75%) & Iodized Salt (25%) for them in winter and that's to keep them from eating the Soy Bean Meal to quick.

[Bow Life]

I was the one who mentioned it, but i also stated that i had never personally used it. So that in mind id go with what you found and use the salt that wont harm the deer. The only reason i said Water Softener Salt was because it seems to be larger as far as the granular size. So it will hold better in the bag. At least thats what i was told when i herd of the idea. I might use it this year not sure yet (i should probably get arround to it) but like i said id go with the one that sodium based. Just my thoughts tho.

[bait pile willie]

just go out to a local tsc or co-op store and pck up a bag of livestock salt, and when the ground thaws dig it int the soil with a shovel the deer need it most in early spring.

[kendo kid]

Dear Savagevervet,
Potassium (potash) can come in many forms. However, it is generally a potassium chloride as is the sodium. Remember good old NaCl (table salt) is sodium chloride. Either of these two "salts" will not do your deer much good if that is all you use. You MUST always provide Potassium (K) in conjuction with Calcium (Ca). Both K and Ca are needed to build good bone. In soil test I always look for a 160 ppm for K and a 2200 ppm for Ca. If your soils have good nutrient levels you are a big step forward. However, no soil is perfect so I recommend using salt blocks. Bait Pile Willie is correct in his telling you to go to the feed store and get a block of iodized mineral lick, also called salt block, as it contains many trace minerals as well as the correct balance of K and Ca needed for producing stong bones in the fetus, growing fawns (mother's milk) and antlers. You will SEE a big difference in fawn survival and rack size when you use the salt lick blocks.

[Country]

I once used some kind of mineral block I got at the feed store and the deer and bear really went at it. Same for those little apple block ones that are shaped like bricks. I couldn't get either one for the past several months so I purchased the salt block (brown) with trace minerals in it they use for cows and the deer won't touch it. Not every thing it seems is equal. I've also had very limited sucess with the deer cocane. The deer hit that for a little while and quit.

[OneShot]

We have used the red Windsor salt block with excellent results.

Here is a link to a hole deer had dug to get some.

It is only 3 years old, and each season I refill the hole with dirt and simply place another block on top.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/ ... 0_2429.jpg

[A.W]

We have used the red Windsor salt block with excellent results.

Here is a link to a hole deer had dug to get some.

It is only 3 years old, and each season I refill the hole with dirt and simply place another block on top.


http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/oneshot1187/100

Link not working.

[OneShot]

Link repaired and working!

[Farmer]

I have used a bagged mineral supplement for cattle, it has salt, and various trace minerals .